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Array
(
[sid] => 135751
[catid] => 1
[aid] => mick
[title] => Big Al 17
[time] => 2007-07-06 04:21:09
[hometext] =>
[bodytext] => The fire trap where Danny Boy was hanging his hat was like all the other run down hotels on Madison Street. The Hixson was a four story clapboard that should have been torn down twenty years ago. I crowded past a sleeping body in its entrance, climbing the stairs to the fourth floor. Some one had been sick on its landing and I carefully stepped by finding room number 415. A couple of knocks brought no answer. I waited and tried again. It seemed unusual that Danny Boy would step out and not wait for his twenty bucks. Giving the doorknob a twist, I found it unlocked and let myself in. It was a small room with its Murphy bed down and a suitcase half full of clothes on it. A chest of drawers was next to a closed door I thought was the bathroom. I gave the door a try but it was stuck like something was pushing against it from the inside. I forced my way in. Danny Boy was propped against the door dead, blood coming from his nose and mouth, eyes open in a vacant stare. There was the smell of cordite. The front of his shirt showed blood. He’d been shot. I got out of there fast and went to a public telephone, calling the police without leaving my name. Whatever Danny Boy had found out about the reason for my being shadowed had gotten him killed. Back at the office I made a call to where Lupota hung out. He came on the line. “ Whatcha want, Big Al?” “ Gotta talk with Casino. Something’s happening in this town he should know about.” “ Like what?” “ Like a new mob coming in.” “ Where’d you hear that?” “ No phone talk, Lupota. Let me talk to him” “ He hesitated and I could hear him mumbling words to someone else. He came back on the line. “ No talking with Casino until you spill what you got to me. Meet me in an hour in front of the Lexington Hotel. We’ll take a drive and talk then.” He hung up. The Lexington Hotel was located on Michigan Avenue and 22nd Street. It was brick and terra cotta construction, a building standing since the end of the nineteenth century. I was in front of it an hour later where Lupota picked me up in the Packard. Madaly was at the wheel. We left the curb and entered traffic. Lupota lit a cigarette and blew smoke out the open side window. He handed me a flask of booze. “What have the birds been telling you, Big Al?” “Danny Boy’s been shot and killed.” Lupota looked mildly surprised. “ So?” “ He was working for me because of certain tail I’d picked up last week. I wanted to know who and why I was being trailed. Danny Boy told me a private dick by the name of Brooks was doing the snooping, working for a bird by the name of Forsyth. Danny Boy hadn’t found out the why of it, but would get back to me on that. He did find out later and I was to come to his hotel at noon today and feed him a little more money before he’d give that info. I found him shot to death.” “ That’s all your business. Can’t see that Casino would be interested. What about this new mob stuff?” “ Getting to that. Forsyth came to my office earlier, before all this started, wanting me to find a certain antique for him. I did and no sooner was I done with him then this broad shows up by the name of Gloria DuPrey. Now she wants me to furnish her house with antiques. That’s fine with me for she seems to be a dame with a lot of bred to spread around. She said Forsyth recommended me. Later we went to the Yacht Club together, her chauffeur driving. I didn’t tell her that I recognized her chauffeur. He’s Thomas Madsen.” Lupota’s ears picked up. “ Out of Toronto? What’s he doing chauffeuring?’ “ Yes, out of Toronto and why he’s driving makes me think an eastern mob is planning to make a move against Casino. Gloria DuPrey is some kind of liar. She told me she got a big inheritance from her father, but that’s not true. I checked her out and found out her father was a bail bondsman in New York City and there was no inheritance. How she got this big swank house in Chicago also makes me think syndicate money bought it. She told me she’d lived in Chicago a long period of time and that’s not true either. She’s been living at the Ritz Hotel in New York and just came to Chicago. I need help. I think they want to use me as a cat’s paw in pushing Casino out.” Lupota spoke fast to Madaly. “ Turn this heap around. We’re going back to the Lexington.” The lobby of the Lexington Hotel was quiet of guests. The only people here were Casino men guarding the elevator and stairs. Casino had a suite of rooms on the fifth floor held like fortress. Lupota took the Luger away from me and we caught the elevator up where he led me to his boss. Casino was sitting behind a desk smoking a cigar. The Sicilian bodyguard, Dido, was standing to his left. I told Casino everything I’ told Lupota. Casino chewed the end of his cigar in thought for a moment than spit pieces of it out of his mouth to the rug. He clasped his hands together in front of him on the desk and asked, “What else you got?” “ Gloria DuPrey is giving a party at her new house and wants me to be there. She said I could bring guests. I’m suppose to meet a few of her friends who might be interested in drifting some antique business my way. Forsyth will be there.” I hesitated, wondering if I should continue with what was on my mind. I chanced it. “I’d like to ask a favor, if I’m not being too much out of line.” He pointed the cigar a me screwing up his face, eyes narrowing. “What’s that?” “ This tail I told you about, I want him gone, Mister Casino.” Casino dropped the scrawl. He looked over to Lupota and nodded his head giving him indication to take care of it. He came back to me with a question. “Anything else?” His backing felt good. I knew I had to let well enough alone. I gave him a simple no. He blew a cloud of smoke my way. “ You’re a good friend, Big Al. I take care of friends. Loyalty is one thing I admire and reward. I think I’ll send a few of my men along with you to this party.” I broke out in a big smile and said, “ Couldn’t be better.” “ Let me know when it comes down.” “ I’ll do that.” He came around from his desk and shook my hand, letting me know my time was up. “ And about this booze you’re sending me from Toronto, good stuff. Keep it coming.” I left. Gloria called me the next day wanting to bring a check by the office to pay off the balance of her account. I told her the balance was eleven thousand and five hundred dollars. She came by with the money. Sitting across from me, a smile brightened her face. “ The refrigerator has arrived and I’ve stocked it with all kinds of good things. Why don’t we go over to the house and I’ll make you sandwich. You can check out my arrangement of antiques and tell me what you think.” “ Jean included?” “ I thought just you and me.” “ Maybe another time.” “ I’ve got a couple of bottles of beer to go with that sandwich.” “ Now, where in the world would you get beer? Don’t you know beer’s illegal to buy?” “ Of course, but I have friends who can get it for me.” I gave a short laugh. “ You and half Chicago.” “ Well yes, that’s true but these friends can also get me something stronger.” “ We’re talking bootleggers. I didn’t think rich young ladies had such friends.” “ You’d be surprised what rich young ladies do. Don’t tell me you’ve never been to a speakeasy. That I can’t believe.” “ I’ve been to a few.” “ Take me to one.” “ I don’t think so.” “ Why?” “ Because I want our relationship to remain business only. No fooling around.” “ You disappoint me. You took me to the Yacht Club and that wasn’t business.” “ If you remember, we didn’t fol around after we left. Taking you to the Yacht Club was good public relations. That little outing could lead to more antique business for me.” “ I’d think you’d be interested in making more money than antiques can bring you.” “ Like what?” “ Like bootlegging.” “ Too dangerous. A man can get killed in that kind of racket.” “ Big Al, let’s stop fooling around. I know you’re in the racket. I want you to be on my side. I have friends who will pay big money to buy your booze from Toronto. You don’t have to limit your business to strictly Casino.” “ My, my. Aren’t we letting our hair down. Casino plays big time and I’m not about to get my feet planted in cement then thrown in the lake.” “ We can take care of Casino. You don’t have to worry about him.” “ No one takes care of Casino. Lady, you’re kidding yourself. Don’t start a gang war in this city. Believe me, it’ll happen if you try to move against Casino.” “Come, have that sandwich with me.” “ I’ll go to your open house party, but that’s as far as it goes. I want no part of you or your friends. I won’t sell you booze in this city.” She got up from her chair disappointed. Walking to the door, she halted then turned with a shrug of her shoulders. “ Maybe you’ll change you mind.” She blew me a kiss and left. After she’d left, Jean came into the room with a face full of curiosity. “ So, what did cutie pie have to say?” “ Miss Duprey wanted me to have a sandwich with her at the new house.” “ Are you?” “ No. She even offered me a couple of beers if I’d come over.” “ And you’re not.” “ No. She didn’t like that and all at once she let her hair down saying she knew I was a bootlegger and wanted me to sell hooch to her friends.” “ My, oh my. No more little rich girl who has a big inheritance from her daddy, but is really front for a mob.” “ Yes, and her money, no doubt, comes from the mob.” “ Are you going to do it?” “ Do what? “ Sell her friends booze.” “ Are you crazy? Casino runs this town. If I sold them booze, Casino would rub me out about as fast as it takes to wink.” “ Put her in the dump, sugar daddy. Do we have to go to her open house?” “ I told her we’d be there.” “ I don’t want to go.” “ Casino knows about everything. He’s sending some of his gang along with us.” “ That ought to be something to see. Two gangs facing each other and us in the middle.” “ It’s no more than Casino’s way of a warning. We’ll stay for awhile then leave.” “ Then what?” “ I don’t know. We’ll have to play it by ear.” “ Dan, dan, dandy. We play it by ear. That’s a crock.” “ Listen, Angle Face, you’re just window dressing, like I told you before, to look good on my arm and nothing’s going to happen to you.” “ Put that in writing and I’ll breathe easier,” she said sarcastically. “ I think when these people see Casino’s men, they’ll back off. It’s as easy as that.” “ Yah, tell me another bedtime story.” “ If they don’t, we’ll go to Detroit for awhile till things cool off.” That thought got her to smiling. She cooled her sarcastic tongue then long enough to say, “Yes, daddy, I like Detroit. That’s a good idea. We can go to the Graystone Ballroom again and I can wear my new tennis bracelet along with my flapper stuff.” She could be such a child at times, but I was glad to get her mind off the danger we’d face at the open house. “ Sure you can, sweetheart, you’ll be as cute as a bug’s ear, the cat’s meow, a gnat’s whistle. We can have another big time in Detroit.” She came close to me running a fingernail across my cheek. “ Daddy, you have the best ideas. I love my sugar daddy.” She put her soft lips against mine giving me a kiss that made life worth living. [comments] => 1 [counter] => 147 [topic] => 21 [informant] => ramfire [notes] => [ihome] => 0 [alanguage] => english [acomm] => 0 [haspoll] => 0 [pollID] => 0 [score] => 0 [ratings] => 0 [editpoem] => 1 [associated] => [topicname] => Lifepoems )
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